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Rural Wage Crisis
Retail inflation for farm workers eased to 3.73 per cent in March 2025, as compared to 4.05 per cent in February this year, as per latest data released on Wednesday. For rural workers retail inflation eased to 3.86 per cent in March 2025, as against 4.10 per cent in February this year, according to official data. The All-India Consumer Price Index for Agricultural Labourers (CPI-AL) and Rural Labourers (CPI-RL) decreased by 3 points and 2 points, for the month of March 2025, falling to 1,306 and 1,319 points, respectively, a labour ministry statement said. The CPI-AL and CPI-RL were at 1,309 points and 1,321 points respectively in February 2025. "The year-on-year inflation rates based on CPI-AL and CPI-RL for March 2025 were recorded at 3.73 per cent and 3.86 per cent, respectively, compared to 7.15 per cent and 7.08 per cent in March 2024. The corresponding figures for February 2025 stood at 4.05 per cent for CPI-AL and 4.10 per cent for CPI-RL," it stated.
Retail inflation for agricultural labourers and rural workers rose marginally to 7.08 per cent and 6.92 per cent in October, respectively, from 6.70 per cent and 6.55 per cent respectively in September 2023 due to higher prices of certain food items. Point to point rate of inflation based on CPI-AL (Consumer Price Index-Agricultural Labourers) and CPI-RL (Consumer Price Index-Rural Labourers) stood at 7.22 per cent and 7.34 per cent, respectively in October 2022, a labour ministry statement said. Food inflation stood at 8.42 per cent and 8.18 per cent for CPI-AL and CPI-RL in October 2023 compared to 8.06 per cent and 7.73 per cent respectively in September 2023 and 7.05 per cent and 7.00 per cent respectively during the corresponding month of the previous year. The All India CPI-AL and CPI-RL for October 2023 increased by 15 points and 14 points respectively to stand at 1,241 points and 1,251 points respectively. CPI-AL and CPI-RL were 1,226 and 1,237 points respectively in Septem
Rural wage growth is trailing inflation and the government needs to continue with policy support to help people in the mofussil areas, a credit information company said on Thursday. In a report, Crif High Mark observed that rural wages are unable to keep pace with rising inflation and sought continued interventions from the policy front on this. with rising rural inflation, decline in real rural wages and slowing rural demand, it is important for the government and policymakers to continue their support to the rural sector, it said. Rural inflation had remained above urban inflation in the first half of 2022, it said, adding that rural consumption declined and average rural unemployment decreased. The rural business confidence index, which takes inputs from macroeconomic indices, credit bureau data and the survey of companies operating in the rural areas, grew by nearly 10 points to 73.5 in 2022. The government has focused on providing relief and credit flow to small business and